Opposition parties in the Union Territory of Puducherry on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister V Narayanasamy prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly following a spate of resignations by legislators belonging to the ruling Congress government.
The government has plunged into a minority with two ministers and as many legislators resigning as MLAs, bringing down the party's strength in the 30-member Assembly to 14. Adding three nominated members, the strength of the House stands at 33. After the recent resignations, the Opposition and the ruling combine are on par with both sides having the support of 14 MLAs each.
A delegation of leaders from the N R Congress, AIADMK and BJP, which has three nominated members, on Wednesday petitioned officials at the Raj Nivas, in the absence of a Lt Governor, demanding that Narayanasamy prove his majority on the floor of the House.
“The Congress-DMK government in Puducherry has lost majority. The Congress government should be asked to prove its majority,” former Chief Minister and Opposition leader N R Rangasamy told reporters outside Raj Nivas. Since Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan is yet to assume additional charge as Lt Governor of the UT, Rangasamy and the MLAs met the Secretary to the L-G.
Soundararajan, who will be sworn in as Puducherry L-G on Thursday, is likely to call on the demand of the Opposition parties after settling in.
The crisis has hit the Congress government just months before the UT is set to face assembly elections. The ministers and legislators who quit their posts and party have blamed Narayanasamy's style of functioning for their decision.